Remake Interviews: Catch-all Thread

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OK, I see a nightmare down the line with us going "I've heard that before, I've read that before, where did I see that". Since we like to collect interviews on the front site, please post all interviews which mention the remake here from now on. This thread will be stickied.

Try to follow this format where possible:

1. Interview with [Whoever]
2. Link to the source
3. DATE.
4. Copy and paste the entire interview behind spoiler tags (so if the link dies, we've still got a copy of it). Try to format it in a readable way.

This is for the purpose of keeping everything in one place in a nice, linear format. If this thread is updated with an interview I'll add it here.

The Final Fantasy VII Remake, announced at Sony&#8217;s E3 press conference, could deviate from its source material.

When asked if the remake, in development for PlayStation 4, will follow the Final Fantasy VII narrative exactly or feature new elements, director Tetsuya Nomura gave GameSpot an ambiguous answer.

&#8220;We&#8217;ve announced an HD port version on the PlayStation 4, and then we have the remake coming to PS4,&#8221; Nomura said through a translator. &#8220;You&#8217;ll have this extremely, very, very pretty FFVII existing on the same plane. We feel that if that happens, it&#8217;s like, why have the same exact game?

&#8220;We think that if a game is on a certain platform and that platform becomes obsolete, then we&#8217;d recommend playing the new port version,&#8221; he added.

Currently, all we know about the Final Fantasy VII Remake is that it is now in production with key members of the original game&#8217;s staff on board, including producer Yoshinori Kitase and scenario writer Kazushige Nojima. Other developer details are unknown.

Final Fantasy 7's remake, announced during Sony's show at this week's E3, captured a fair amount of attention, and a few questions snatched at the end of a roundtable about Kingdom Hearts 3 with its director Tetsuya Nomura revealed a bit more.

Nomura, who was a character designer on the 1997 original, is clearly excited about the prospect. "The talks about making this remake, internally it's been mentioned on and off," he told Eurogamer's Aoife Wilson in the interview. "Sometimes we think we can do it, and then sometimes we think maybe we can't. Considering some of the original staff, like Kitase, he's acting as producer, and [Kazushige] Nojima, he's doing the script - we're all getting older! If we keep going like this, the thought occurred to us that we might have to pass this on to a younger generation, without the original developers taking part. It doesn't seem like such a grand intention, but we wanted to do it with the original members."

So why has it taken 'til now for it to happen - especially as it comes relatively soon after Square Enix disappointed fans by setting up a reveal last December before announcing the PC port of the original was coming to PlayStation 4?

"When we announced the HD port, the PC port on the PS4, we weren't sure when we wanted to announce the remake," Nomura said elsewhere in the interview. "The production was underway then, so there's no real connection between the timing of the two FF7s coming to PS4. We've announced several different titles coming to the PlayStation 4 like World of Final Fantasy and Kingdom Hearts 3."

The slow uptake of new consoles in Japan seems to be a concern, and Square Enix is making a concerted effort to make sure the PlayStation 4 is more attractive to the audience in its home country. "There's more and more titles being introduced for the platform, and we're hoping that announcing the remake of Final Fantasy 7, it'll give a boost to people wanting to buy this current generation of console. If we announced the remake after all those titles have been sold, it wouldn't have created such an impact, so that's why we decided on this timing. We wanted to reassure players that PlayStation 4 is coming out with great titles including Final Fantasy 7. That's why we decided to announce the remake."

How the new, slightly darker aesthetic sits with some of the crazier elements of the original game remains to be seen, but it seems they'll be intact. Can't wait to see the delicious sight of Cloud in a dress in glorious HD? "Please look forward to it," said Nomura as the interview came to a close.

These days, HD remakes are pretty common! They usually are the same games, but with spiffy new graphics and, often, optional and updated controls. The big question is whether or not this is a straight-up remake. From what Square Enix&#8217;s Tetsuya Nomura tells Famitsu and Dengeki Online, it&#8217;s not.

&#8220;I can&#8217;t get go into details,&#8221; Nomura said, &#8220;but this is not a simple remake. Let&#8217;s say for argument&#8217;s sake that we only pretty up the graphics for current gen hardware, I don&#8217;t think that would surpass the original version.&#8221;

(Note: Here Nomura actually said &#8220;next gen hardware,&#8221; but he is referring to the current gen.)

It seems that if the game only featured better graphics, then the difference between this remake and the upscaled port would merely be cosmetic.

&#8220;The original version is a game that came out in 1997, and if you look at it today, you can feel how dated the graphics and the game system are,&#8221; Nomura told Famitsu. &#8220;However, that&#8217;s also part of Final Fantasy VII.&#8221; Nomura added that even today, the game continues to get support and that is unlikely to change.

However, it sounds like like the remake will feature evolved gameplay. Again, here&#8217;s Nomura:

&#8220;We haven&#8217;t shown any gameplay yet, but since we&#8217;re updating them quite a bit, please look forward to that,&#8221; Nomura told Dengeki Online. (Note: The word Nomura used, &#36914;&#21270; or &#8220;shinka,&#8221; can also mean &#8220;evolution&#8221; or &#8220;progress.&#8221; He didn&#8217;t say &#22793;&#21270; or &#8220;henka,&#8221; which means &#8220;change&#8221; or &#8220;variation.&#8221

For a title like this, even if you only redo the graphics, I don&#8217;t think you get something that&#8217;s exciting.&#8221;

So, what does that mean?

&#8220;Since we now formally revealed Kazushige Nojima&#8217;s name for the scenario, there will be more plot devices in the story, so I think you can also look forward to that.&#8221;

Ah, perhaps maybe they&#8217;ll be adding to the story, fleshing certain parts out or adding more backstory? That I can see making this more than a simple high-def remake with pretty graphics. I hope this doesn&#8217;t mean certain parts of the original story, however, will be written out...

&#8220;So,&#8221; Nomura told Famitsu, &#8220;if you are going to do a full remake, you have to take a different approach and make something that suits the times.&#8221;

According to Nomura, Square Enix is planning to reveal more about this remake later this winter&#8212;at the very least, the game&#8217;s formal title. So, yes, yes, look forward to that, too. Expect it.

After announcing that the PC version of FFVII was coming to PS4, why announce the remake now?

Tetsuya Nomura&#8203;: The PC port, honestly, wasn't really on my radar. I thought it was already on sale. Regardless, there's really no relation between the PC version and this remake. Why now? This week at E3 we announced several titles coming to the PS4: not only FFXV, Kingdom Hearts 3, and World of Final Fantasy, but [also] a new Star Ocean and more. Rather than announce the remake after those titles went on sale, we wanted to give gamers something that would make them happy -- open them up, perhaps, to buying into the PS4.

You've called it a remake, but what's going to change? Will the story change?

TN: Hah! Well, that's something that literally... [He gestures to his open laptop].

The trailer was vague; it felt like it could well be a sequel, or even a prequel.

TN: That's exactly why I wanted to have the word "Remake" into the trailer -- precisely to clarify that. At this point, I can't talk to specifics. Or at least, I'm not allowed to talk about the specifics. But the original is out again: The "HD" PC version is coming to PS4 already. We don't need two of the same thing. Even if we beautified and upgraded the visuals -- something that's bound to happen. If it's a full remake, then of course, we want to take a different approach. If we actually just upgraded the visuals -- there'd be no need for me to direct it.

Well, I can't honestly say. But things will change.

Just the price?

TN: [Laughs] We can't comment on pricing. We haven't even mentioned the true title of the remake.

Is there a comparable remake in gaming, movies?

TN: If I say anything, then that could reveal too much. If I say, "It's a bit like this," you'll suddenly think: "Ah well, then that's going to turn out just like that." In the trailer, at the end, I try to reference that: "The reunion at hand may bring joy, but it may bring fear. But let us embrace whatever it brings."

People will wonder how far the game will change and exactly what is going to change. Sure, at first there's the joy that the game's returning, but then the concern that what you liked in the original may change or disappear completely. People have different demands. But if we take everything literally the same, we're turning into the HD port again.

So you could flip the genders of say, Yuffie?

TN: Nothing that drastic! But there will be changes. More than me, [Producer Yoshinori] Kitase and [scenario writer Kazushige] Nojima are more concerned about what gets changed. I'm not too worried about that. I'm often happy to cut out parts. Before meetings, the pair of them often discuss what's happening. It's very likely that not everyone is going to like everything.

The trailer seemed pretty serious in tone. Will the occasional humor the original game carry through?

TN: The comedy or the lighthearted parts -- I like those. I don't want to change it that much. But we can't have these upgraded, beautiful 3D models of Cloud and Barrett, still lining up in a row, jumping forward to attack an enemy, then jumping back to wait for their next turn. That would be bizarre. Of course there will likely be changes there. But if we took away parts like the lighter moments of the game, then it would no longer be FFVII.

The PS4 version of Final Fantasy VII isn't just a simple remastering of the original, but instead will be an entirely remade version of the beloved PS1 game.

In an IGN interview, executive producer Shinji Hashimoto told us that the team tasked with bringing the JRPG classic to Sony's modern console is looking back at the original to see what needs to be changed.

The game will be more than just an update, in other words. It will be a full-blown remake. "We're putting in a lot of careful thought to meet" the expectations of fans, Hashimoto told us.

When asked why the time for a remake was now, Hashimoto said conversations had happened over the years, but schedules of key figures, including director Yoshinori Kitase and character designer Testuya Nomura, conflicted.

In an interview with Weekly Famitsu, remake director Tetsuya Nomura stated, &#8220;Actually, quite a while ago, I tried to start up the project [to remake FFVII], but at the time it didn&#8217;t come to fruition.&#8221;

According to Nomura, it was Square Enix Exec Shinji Hashimoto who approached Nomura and the original FFVII director Yoshinori Kitase about the new project. &#8220;Mr. Hashimoto was involved with the advertising and marketing of the original, so like [Mr. Kitase and myself], VII has a strong place in his heart.&#8221; Nomura explained.

Nomura is currently helming Kingdom Hearts III, so it&#8217;s surprising that he would take the reins of another high-profile project when the one he&#8217;s still developing as of yet has no release date. It turns out Nomura himself was surprised by the fact that he was directing the FFVII remake.

&#8220;As preproduction went along and I offered my opinions on what I thought should be done, Mr. Kitase would asked me how the individual elements should be adjusted in fine detail.&#8221; Nomura recalled. &#8220;It was very perplexing. Then one day, as I was checking the internal company presentation video it said &#8216;Director Tetsuya Nomura&#8217; at the end.&#8221;

Apparently this was news to Nomura who had assumed that Kitase would be reclaiming the director&#8217;s chair for the remake of his game. &#8220;So I called up Mr. Kitase and said, &#8216;It says that I&#8217;m the director for some reason.&#8217; To which he replied, &#8216;If course it does.&#8217;&#8221; Nomura said with a nervous laugh.

The &#8220;&#8217;I thought you were going to direct!&#8217; &#8216;Well I thought YOU were going to direct!&#8217;&#8221; episode was something that happened in the initial stages of the project&#8217;s inception and Nomura has stated that he is presently well aware of and well into his position as director.

Banned

That's... freaking brilliant Lex. Might help to have an offline backup in like an Excel Sheet or Microsoft Access of somekind. Maybe you could even have a Database of info accessible from the front page at some point.

But again, this is what I love about the fandom. Something earth-shattering happens and we turn into a research team worthy of Harvard.

Rookie Adventurer

The PS4 version of Final Fantasy VII isn't just a simple remastering of the original, but instead will be an entirely remade version of the beloved PS1 game.

In an IGN interview, executive producer Shinji Hashimoto told us that the team tasked with bringing the JRPG classic to Sony's modern console is looking back at the original to see what needs to be changed.

The game will be more than just an update, in other words. It will be a full-blown remake. "We're putting in a lot of careful thought to meet" the expectations of fans, Hashimoto told us.

When asked why the time for a remake was now, Hashimoto said conversations had happened over the years, but schedules of key figures, including director Yoshinori Kitase and character designer Testuya Nomura, conflicted.

Administrator

The PS4 version of Final Fantasy VII isn't just a simple remastering of the original, but instead will be an entirely remade version of the beloved PS1 game.

In an IGN interview, executive producer Shinji Hashimoto told us that the team tasked with bringing the JRPG classic to Sony's modern console is looking back at the original to see what needs to be changed.

The game will be more than just an update, in other words. It will be a full-blown remake. "We're putting in a lot of careful thought to meet" the expectations of fans, Hashimoto told us.

When asked why the time for a remake was now, Hashimoto said conversations had happened over the years, but schedules of key figures, including director Yoshinori Kitase and character designer Testuya Nomura, conflicted.

Makes sense, but it's funny how they only report the answers to (presumably) the questions they asked. You just know that if a TLS rep had been there we would have reported every single word that came out of his (or his translator's) mouth.

Harbinger O Great Justice

I'm pretty sure that I clicked Pixel's link into a new tab, and didn't read it for a while (since I'm at work). Then, I read it while browsing other tabbed up io9 articles - since they're both Gawker media - and assumed that I'd mass opened them all from there. Then after reading it, I checked the OP and didn't see it in Lex's post, and then just quick replied it.

I am impressed by this statement. If both quotes are by Nomura then I have seriously underestimated his game designer mind. Would like to see a full Famitsu interview though, complete with scans. Like the good old TLS translation days.

420

Thanks to Teioh for highlighting this in the Midgar appreciation thread.

Dengeki have released another interview with Tetsuya Nomura about Kingdom Hearts 3 and Final Fantasy VII. He discusses the removal of reaction commands, a series staple since Kingdom Hearts 2, as well as the use of the Kingdom Shader.

Zephyr has translated the article.

Tetsuya Nomura talks about the presence of the Cloud cross-dressing event in the remake of FINAL FANTASY VII. There is no QTE in KINGDOM HEARTS III.

In United States Los Angeles, an exhibition of videogames were held at E3 2015 (Electronic Entertainment Expo 2015). A full remake of FINAL FANTASY VII has been officially announced, and the latest information concerning KINGDOM HEARTS III has been revealed.

As the director of both works, Tetsuya Nomura will be around for us to hear his story and deliver its contents.

FINAL FANTASY VII, Yoshinori Kitase being the producer, Kazushige Nojima the scenario writer, and Tetsuya Nomura being the director held responsible, has been announced to be developed for the PS4. The reveal of &#8220;Tangled&#8221; has also been announced for KINGDOM HEARTS III. The audience expectations have been heightened.

&#9632; For KINGDOM HEARTS III, I think it is using Real Shader for the worlds.

From around what time did the remake of FINAL FANTASY VII was being undertaken?

It was from last year. Kitase, Nojima, and I just happen to be around at a bad time and gave the name of this announcement. That&#8217;s what started the timing.

So it really has just begun. When the full remake of FINAL FANTASY VII was presented at the SCE conference, it was terribly exciting.

I&#8217;ve heard from the staff that that FINAL FANTASY is comparably popular to KINGDOM HEARTS overseas. FINAL FANTASY VII has made a similar impact to the announcement of KINGDOM HEARTS III.

When KINGDOM HEARTS III was presented at E3 2013, there was tremendous excitement. This E3, it looks like KINGDOM HEARTS III has been making several updates.

In regards to supplementing the gameplay, we have removed the Reaction Commands in KINGDOM HEARTS III. QTE (Quick Time Event. Actions that execute at the touch of a button according to when it displays on screen) isn&#8217;t there anymore. For people who have seen the &#8220;flashy&#8221; battles in KINGDOM HEARTS II, it felt like there were too many of them when doing these operations.

Are there no longer Reaction Commands in boss battles?

That&#8217;s right. While removing the elements of QTE in KINGDOM HEARTS III, being referred to as flashy battles, we are making it more challenging. All actions will be based on good or favorable timing.

In other works that pursue realistic graphics, it seems &#8220;Kingdom Shader&#8221; is generally accepted overseas.

Since this is a style that is unique to KINGDOM HEARTS, perhaps it is valued.

Due to the amount of information in the graphics, it may have an opposite effect. If the surface of the rocks look realistic in the world of Hercules, it will drift away from it being a Disney World. You also have Rapunzel&#8217;s tower that is tightly built in a very high density building, you are not allowed to go in (laughs).

There is too much discomfort there (laughs).

For many of Disney&#8217;s animated films, the Kingdom Shader is acceptable. However, depending on the world, the type of shader is going to change. For specific worlds, it will not be allowed apparently. While it is primarily Kingdom Shader-based, I think a realistic shader will come out for those worlds.

&#9632; Everyone&#8217;s memories of FINAL FANTASY VII has not been lost.

Returning to the full remake of FINAL FANTASY VII, it just so happens that Cloud crossdressing as a female and Aerith has become a hot topic. It&#8217;s the trend around here?

First, in terms of the full remake, I believe there were a lot of reactions. It&#8217;s simply because there are opinions about not wanting the content to be changed in order to clean its image but we believe that the HD port version has a smaller difference; just cleaner.

However, we will not be able to answer at this time until a more detailed depiction. As for the episode of the Honeybee inn and for it being lost in everyone&#8217;s nostalgic memories, please don&#8217;t worry.

What about in regards to Aerith?

Concerning Aerith, because the original FINAL FANTASY VII is an old release in 1997, I think there may be a lot of young people who will be touching it for the first time in the full remake of FINAL FANTASY VII. For such people, the question itself is a spoiler regarding Aerith. So I will not answer (laughs).

Speaking of the minigames in FINAL FANTASY VII, there were many of them and what are your thoughts about that?

The minigames are being proceeded into full-fledged production although not necessarily attached yet. Since it was already proposed by the production team, it&#8217;s a stage that was confirmed in planning.

For KINGDOM HEARTS III, the minigame production has already been started. Several things are in a state that can be simply played alone. There is likely a lot of minigames in KINGDOM HEARTS III. For FINAL FANTASY VII, it is still in the stages of planning.

Double Growth

Speaking of the minigames in FINAL FANTASY VII, there were many of them and what are your thoughts about that?

The minigames are being proceeded into full-fledged production although not necessarily attached yet. Since it was already proposed by the production team, it&#8217;s a stage that was confirmed in planning.

This is going to be hard, as literally the first thing I saw about FFVII on my Twitter dash the day of the announcement (or rather next morning), without even looking for a FFVII announcement when I awoke was that tweet!

Racer

The fact that they keep mentioning "realistic system" and "evolution" when talking about the battle system makes me think that while it will be action oriented, it won't be like FFXIII. I'm feeling something of a hybrid between FFXV and the original ATB.

I keep thinking that it would be interesting to add a battle system that included a bit of planning. For example, you have a set of 3 to 6 commands pre-planned on the main menu. The battle starts with those and while they happen in real time, you need to input the next 3 to 6 commands... But I digress.